Printing on the Vandercook Proofing Press

Celebrate Heritage Week by stepping into the world of traditional letterpress printing. Join us for a special event showcasing the Vandercook Proofing Press - once again ready to print thanks to ongoing restoration efforts. Participants will witness live demonstrations and have the chance to print their own limited-edition print.

At this Live Demonstration, watch skilled (and newly skilled) printers operate the Vandercook press and explain its mechanics, history, and the restoration process. Then take the opportunity to work with the Museum’s type collection to handset a word that comes to mind when you think of the Heritage Week 2025 theme, “Exploring Our Foundations" and incorporate your chosen word into a pre-set poster design. This will then be printed on the Vandercook press and the prints will be displayed at the Museum, forming a collective reflection on the 2025 theme.

Family-Friendly Print Station: A dedicated area with printing activities will be available for younger children and families to enjoy.

In 2019, the Museum successfully applied to have the craft of letterpress printing included in the National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage and is dedicated to keeping this craft alive and passing it on to younger generations.

This project received funding through a joint initiative by the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport and the National Monuments Service to support practices inscribed on Ireland’s National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Ireland’s National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage is managed by the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport and can be viewed at https://nationalinventoryich.ccs.gov.ie/ . The National Monuments Service is delighted to support this initiative that highlights the strong relationship between tangible and intangible heritage."